Barrel-feeding apparatus for barrel-washing machines.



N9. 748,545. PATENTED DEG. 29, 1903.A

l R. TRGEEEER. EARREE EEEEINR APPARATUS EoR BARREL WASHING MACHINES.

ARELIUAEIQR EILEE JULY 24, 1901.

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No. 748,545. PTENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

R. TRo-EHLE-R. BARREL PEBDING APPARATUS POR BARREL WASHING MACHINES.

l APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1901.

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Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

RUDOLPH TROEHLER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.`

BARREL-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BARREL-WASHING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 748,545, dated. December 29, 1903.

Application filed July 24, 1901. Serial No. 69.574. (No model.) k

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH TROEHLEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Barrel-Feeding Apparatus for Barrel-Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for automatically feeding barrels to barrel-washing machines and also to provide for the thorough cleansing of the inside of the barrel. l

In the drawings, Figure l is avertical longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3,73. rear end' view of the same on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4, a section online 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section on line 55 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 4.

Reference-letter A denotes a trough; B, in-

' clined guides or tracks in trough A; C, curved arms adapted to act as stops for barrels rolling on tracks B; D, supplemental stops for the barrels; E, swinging hook-arms adapted to receive the barrels from tracksB; F, a shaft carrying armsE; G, a male clutch splined to shaft F; H, a female clutch loosely mounted on shaft F; J, a friction-wheel loosely mounted on shaft F; K, a large cog-wheel carried by friction-wheel J'and driven by a small cog-Wheel L on shaft Z; M, a lever adapted to throw clutch G into and out of engagement with clutch H; N, a lever for operating lever M; O, a link connecting lever NI with bellcrank lever P; Q, a link connecting bellcrank lever P with bell-crank lever R; S, a

post connected with bell-crank lever R and having a rest s for barrels, and T a trip-arm on shaft F, adapted to trip lever N.

The trough A is partially full of water and maybe of any desired construction, but is preferably long enough .to accommodate a number of barrels placed therein sidewise and Wide enough to accommodate the length of barrels. In its bottom trough A may be provided with a plug a for draining water therefrom.

The tracks B are slightly inclined through the greater portion .of their length, with a sharp rise at their forward ends to form inoline b and are placed near enough together to accommodate kegs as well as barrels. At their lower ends tracks B lead to rests b and b2, which are substantially horizontal and provided with concave surfaces b3, adapted to receive and retain the packages. Rests b are placed far enough apart to support barrels, and rests b2 are near enough together to support the smallest kegs, one or the other serving to support any packages between these sizes.

Near the lower end of tracks B arms C are pivoted on rod c, so as to` permit their noses c' to project above the level of the tracks to act as stops for barrels rolling thereon or to` drop below that level, so as to permit the passage of the barrels, for which latter purpose they are provided with a weight c2, hanging on rod c3, which connects nosesV c'.

The supplemental stops D are pivoted to rod d and have a slot-and-pin connection d with arms C, so that when noses c are depressed to permit the passage of a barrel they are raised to intercept it. At their outer ends arms E are connected by rod e, which carries cushions e', adapted to contact with the lower ends of stops C and raise noses c. One of the arms E is provided with a rod e2 and piston e3, working in cylinder e4, which is provided with opening e5 to permit the grad ual escape of water under piston e3, and thus moderate the descent of arms E.

Shaft F is mounted in bearings f on the sides of trough A and is provided with male clutch G, splined thereto. The female clutch H is loosely mounted on shaft F and carries a pivoted arm h, which carries pins h'and h2, located outside and inside the pivotal point, respectively. A strap or band j loosely en- Compasses friction-wheel .l and has its ends attached to pins h' and h2. Mounted on clutch Gr is a guide g, provided with oblique slot g', adapted to engage the inner end h3 of arm h when clutch G approaches clutch H. Owing to the oblique direction of slotg the approach of clutch G causes the inner end of arm h to be carried in the direction of vthe arrow on Fig. 5, thus tightening the strapj on friction-wheel J, causing clutch H to be 'frictionally connected with wheel J. Wheel IOO J is constantly and slowly rotated by means of cog-wheels K and L and shaft l in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, so that when clutch G is thrown into engagement with clutch H shaft F is slowly rotated to raise arms E.

The mechanism which operates clutch G consists of the lever M, which is pivoted to bearing m on the side of trough A and hasa slot-and-pin connection with ring g2, mounted in channel g3 in clutch G. At its outer end leverM is engaged by slot 'n in lever N, which is pivoted at 'n' to the rear end of trough A and extends beyond the outer side of trough A in the path of arm T on shaft F. Link O, bell-crank lever P, link Q, and bell-crank 1ever R serve to connect lever N with post S, so that depression of the last throws clutch G into engagement with clutch H.

The barrel-washing machine in conjunction with which my feeding apparatus is used may be of any desired construction; but the apparatus illustrated in the drawings is especially designed for use in connection with my barrel-washing machine for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted July 12, 1898, No. 607,097, a diagrammatic view of which is indicated in dotted lines to the left of Fig. l.

To explain the operation, let us suppose the apparatus to have been in operation so that a barrel U is in position for being fed, a barrel V is on tracks B, stopped by noses c of arms'C, and a number of barrels Ware on tracks B above barrel V. The operator then places a barrel ou rests on post S, which depresses it and throws clutch G into engagement with clutch H. This causes shaft F to slowly rotate to raise arms E and barrel U. As soon as the weight of arms C is raised from the lower ends of arms C weight c2 swings arms C on pivot-rod c to cause noses c to drop and stops D to raise, so that the barrel released by the dropping of noses c is intercepted by stops D, and all the barrels move down a corresponding distance. When arms E reach a position a little above the horizontal, the barrel U rolls down them and over the end of trough A, striking barrel X in the washing-machine with impetus enough to drive it out and take its place. At the time the barrel leaves arms E the trip-arm T on shaft F has rotated far enough to contact with lever N and depress it, thus withdrawing clutch G from clutch H to release shaft F and permit arms E to drop back. When arms E fall, cushions e' strike the lower ends of arms C, raising noses c' to stop the next barrel W and lowering stops D to permit barrel V to roll onto rests b immediately above arms E, where it will be seized by arms E on their next ascent and delivered to the washing-machine. As the barrels or kegs roll down tracks B onto rests b or b2 a certain amount of water enters their bung-holes,which when they are delivered to the washing-machine and rapidly rotated thereon thoroughly washes and cleanses their insides, while the washing-machine performs the same service for their outsides.

While the exemplitication of my invention illustrated in the drawings and described therein is the preferred form, 1 do not wish to be limited to this exact construction. i

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination in abarrel-feedingapparatus of a stationary inclined track; a stop adaptedy to hold a barrel stationary on the track; a supplemental stop adapted to intercept a barrel released by the first stop; mechanism for alternately throwing each of the stops into operative position and withdrawing the other; swinging arms adapted to receive the barrels from the track and raise and discharge them; and means for operating the swinging arms, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in a barrel-feeding apparatus for barrel-washing machines, of a trough containing water; an inclined track in the trough; a stop adapted to hold a barrel stationary on the track; a supplemental stop adapted to intercept a barrel released by the first stop; mechanism for alternately throwing each ot' the stops into operative position and withdrawing the other, swinging arms adapted to receive the barrels from the track and raise and discharge them; mechanism in the path of the arms for operating stops; and means for operating the arms, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a barrel-feeding apparatus for barrel-washing machines, of a trough containing water; an inclined track in the trough; an arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track; a supplemental arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track at a point below the point of operation of the rst arm; a connection between the arms whereby throwing one of the arms into operative position withdraws the other; means for alternately throwing one of the arms into operative position and withdrawing it; swinging arms adapted to receive the barrels from the track and raise and discharge them; and means for operating the arms,substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a barrel-feeding apparatus for barrel-washing machines, of a trough containing water; an inclined track in the trough; an arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track; a supplemental arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track at a point below the point of operation of the first arm; aconnection between the arms whereby throwing one of the arms into operative position withdraws the other; means for alternately throwing one of the arms into operative position and withdrawing it; a shaft; arms mounted on the shaft and adapted to receive the barrels from the track; clutch mechanism adapt- IOO IIO

ed to drive the shaft to raise the arms and `discharge a barrel thereon; and tripping mechanism connected with the shaft adapted to operate the clutch mechanism to release the shaft from the driving force, substantially as speciied.

5. The combination in a barrel-feeding apparatus for barrelwashing machines, of a trough containing water; an inclined track in the trough; an arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track; a supplemental arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the travcling surface of the track at a point below the point of operation of the first arm; a connection between the arms whereby throwing one of the arms into operative position withdraws the other; means for alternately throwing one of the arms into operative position and withdrawing it; a shaft; arms mounted on the shaft and adapted to receive the barrels from the track; a clutch splined to the shaft; a clutch loosely mounted on the shaft; a friction-wheel; a friction-strap encompassing the wheel, a pivoted arm on the loose clutch having connection with the ends of the strap on opposite sides an oblique slot on the splined clutch adapted to engage the pivoted arm, on the approach of the clutches, and swing the arm to apply the strap to the wheel; a lever for operating the splined clutch; a trip-arm Aon the shaft; and trip mechanism in the path of the trip arm, for operating the lever to withdraw the clutch, substantially as specied.

6. The combination in abarrel-feeding apparatus for barrelwashing machines, of a trough containing water; an inclined track in thetrough; a curved arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track; a supplemental arm pivoted to have its end swing above and below the traveling surface of the track at a point below the point of operation of the tirst arm; a slot-and-pin connection between arms whereby when one is operative the other becomes inoperative; a shaft mounted on the top of the discharge end of the trough; arms mountot' its pivot-al point;

ed on the shaft and adapted to receive barrels from the track; mechanism in the path of the last-mentioned arms connectedlwith the slot-and-pin-connected arms for depressing the supplemental arm; a'weight adapted to depress the main slot-and-pin-connected arm; aclutch loosely mounted on the shaft; a friction-wheel; a friction-strap encompassing 4the wheel; a pivoted arm on the loose clutch having connection with the ends of the strap on opposite sides of its pivotal point; an oblique slot on the splined clutch, adapted to engage the pivoted arm on the approach of the clutches and swing the arm to apply the strap to the wheel; a lever for operating the splined clutch, a triparm on the shaft; and trip mechanism in the path of the trip-arm, for operating the lever to withdraw the clutch, substantially as specified.

7. The combination in a barrel-feeding apparatus for barrel -washing machines, of trough A, tracks B, arms C; supplemental arms pin d; arms E on shaftF adapted to contact with arms C to raise theirnoses c' into operative position, weight c2 on armsC; clutch G splined to shaftF; clutch H loosely mounted on shaft F and carrying pivoted arm h; friction-wheel J; means for operating frictionwheel J; strap j encompassing wheel J and having its opposite ends connected with pins h and h2 on arm h; plateg on clutch G; slot g in plate g; leverM for operating clutch G; lever N for operating lever M; link'O, bellcrank lever P, link Q, bell-crank lever R andpost S for operating lever N; and trip T on shaft F for operating lever N, substantially as speciied.

8. The combination with tracks B, of arms C; supplemental arms D having a slot-and pin connection d' with arms C; weight c2,- and means for throwing arms Cinto operativey po sition and releasing them, substantially as specified.

RUDOLPH TROEHLER. Witnesses:

RICHD. TURNER, J r., CHARLES MILLER.

D connected with arms C by slot and 

